• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Mum says picture of her son at nursery saved his life after camera flash revealed rare disease

Home> News> Health

Published 18:27 3 Jul 2025 GMT+1

Mum says picture of her son at nursery saved his life after camera flash revealed rare disease

Laura Davies, from Wales, says she would have 'never known' without the photo

James Moorhouse

James Moorhouse

Featured Image Credit: Kennedy News & Media

Topics: Parenting, Health, Cancer

James Moorhouse
James Moorhouse

James is a NCTJ Gold Standard journalist covering a wide range of topics and news stories for LADbible. After two years in football writing, James switched to covering news with Newsquest in Cumbria, before joining the LAD team in 2025. In his spare time, James is a long-suffering Rochdale fan and loves reading, running and music. Contact him via [email protected]

X

@JimmyMoorhouse

Advert

Advert

Advert

A British mum has said she is 'eternally grateful' after a snap of her son at nursery ended up saving his life.

It is the worst nightmare of any parent to see their child go through health struggles. For Laura Davies, it was something as small as a cloudiness in her two-year-old son's eye when it hit the light that first made her suspect something was wrong back in April.

A quick search online didn't tell her much but after Sidney had his photo taken at nursery, it became clear that his left eye was far cloudier than his right.

After a visit to her GP and Specsavers, Sidney was referred to Birmingham Children's Hospital and had an ultrasound, which later led him to being diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare eye cancer that affects young children.

Advert

A cloudiness in Sidney's eye made his parents suspect something was wrong (Kennedy News & Media)
A cloudiness in Sidney's eye made his parents suspect something was wrong (Kennedy News & Media)

Laura, from Mold, Flintshire, said: "His nursery saved his life by taking that photo.

"He was basically sat in his high chair opposite the French doors in our kitchen and my husband was like, 'his eye doesn't look right.'

"It basically looked cloudy.

"It was literally just when he was looking to the left. I've got to be honest I probably wouldn't have noticed it.

Advert

"His nursery took a photo of him in the sensory room and that's when it showed it [Sidney's eye] white.

"It was almost like it was reflecting the light, it's really hard to describe. It was like his eye wasn't there, it was like a mirror."

After a discussion with doctors, it was decided that removing the eye was the best plan of action, and the brave boy underwent the surgery on 27 May, with later scans thankfully confirming there was no need for chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Brave Sidney had to have his left eye removed (Kennedy News & Media)
Brave Sidney had to have his left eye removed (Kennedy News & Media)

Laura added: "He coped with it so well and I think the boys gave me strength as well.

Advert

"It was so scary seeing him go for the operations.

"I think we went into mum and dad mode. You kind of just get through it. Afterwards when we found out that he was okay and he didn't need any chemotherapy then it all hit me if I'm honest.

"I burst out crying [when he got the all clear]. It was such a relief."

Sidney is expected to have a prosthetic eye fitted later this month and will have to wear protective goggles when he plays sport, but his family hope that he will remain otherwise unaffected.

The nursery photo may have saved his life (Kennedy News & Media)
The nursery photo may have saved his life (Kennedy News & Media)

Advert

Laura said: "It was horrendous. We were so worried, we expected it but you know when you're actually hearing those words it's a different story. It was a lot to take in.

"I was obviously upset about the fact that he needed to have his eye removed. All the thoughts run through your head of how they are going to cope in school and kids are horrible and things like that.

"But I was also looking at it and thinking, 'I just want it out' because you could literally see it."

She continued: "In terms of the effects on him it's been quite minimal because he's already dealt with that himself, not being able to see out of that eye.

"I keep saying to people, 'I would never have known.'

Advert

"I've always said he's very careful. He will go down the steps very carefully unlike my other son who is older and who's like a bull at a gate.

"You sort of think back and think, 'maybe that's why?' but he's a happy boy, he showed no signs of this. We didn't notice that he couldn't see out of his eye.

"It's funny because people have said when they see him on the school run and things that he's got a new lease of life.

"I don't know whether it was bothering him before, whether it was blurry. We'll never know really."

A JustGiving page has been set up to support Birmingham Children's Hospital after Sidney's surgery success, and you can donate to it here.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.

  • Mum claims at-home workout revealed son had rare incurable disease as he couldn’t do simple exercise
  • Man says doctor has 'literally saved his life' after sharing bowel cancer self-check as cases in under 50s soar
  • British professor makes ‘thrilling’ breakthrough for cure of rare untreatable cancer that killed his mum
  • Mum 'blamed herself' after being told 'son will age backwards and become baby-like' due to rare condition

Choose your content:

2 hours ago
4 hours ago
6 hours ago
7 hours ago
  • 2 hours ago

    Elon Musk urges release of Epstein files weeks after accusing Trump of being involved in fiery X rant

    Musk made a bombshell claim about his former 'first buddy'

    News
  • 4 hours ago

    Arne Slot releases emotional statement after Diogo Jota tragically dies aged 28

    The Liverpool forward and his brother died this morning

    News
  • 6 hours ago

    Brit, 29, who fell ill moments after getting tattoo on hen do fighting for life in coma

    Poppy-Mae Crutchley began to feel unwell 'instantly' after she got the inking in the Spanish party hotspot

    News
  • 7 hours ago

    Woman speaks out after people use Grok to make 'disgusting' explicit images of her

    Evie is one of many victims to have fallen foul to the inappropriate AI prompts on X

    News